Boat anchors are conventionally carried at the end of a long chain or other type of line. Many such anchors employ a fluke that is embedded into the sea floor to temporarily anchor the vessel. Unfortunately, because the anchor is usually attached to the line at a fixed point, it is often quite difficult to achieve the leverage and force necessary to properly lodge the anchor into the ground. Likewise, it can be awkward and difficult to dislodge and retrieve the anchor before resuming travel.
In an attempt to alleviate this problem, certain anchors have employed a slotted shank that permits the position of the anchor chain to be adjusted to improve the leverage on the anchor. However, these anchors often do not exhibit optimally reliable operation. Typically, the shank is pivotally attached to the fluke so that the angle between the shank and the fluke may be adjusted. When the anchor is retrieved, the chain slides to the forward end of the slot. As a result, the fluke and the shank pivot closed such that the forward end of the slot and the attached chain are located behind the anchor's center of gravity. In fact, at least one known device, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,468,077, explicitly requires that the slot stop three inches short of the center of gravity of the anchor, so that the anchor automatically resets after it is retrieved. Because of this slot position, the majority of the anchor's weight is located forwardly of the chain. As a result, the tip of the fluke tends to dig into the ground and resists being retrieved. Moreover, conventionally designed flukes are relatively lightweight and are apt to unintentionally dislodge from the sea floor. Known plow-type anchors also tend to tip sideways as they are embedded in the sea floor, which makes them difficult to set. And most conventional anchors are usually suitable for use on only certain limited sizes of vessels.